THE VIRAL $80 Smoked candied Salmon from @soloveyk
#lemon8challenge #lemon8badgehunt Should I do a slower breakdown on the smoke machine?
So first and foremost, the salmon is not a scam. Nobody should do all this work unless you’re gonna sell them lol, just get it from the company. This is just content, They are nice people. The process of making this salmon was not as extraneous as it may look in the video. It’s really more about waiting time. The main thing is having the proper smoking machine, which I got from Amazon. I put the link in my bio in case y’all want to purchase the exact same one. You’re technically supposed to use it with a grill, but you know, I’m a scientist, so I bend the rules a little bit. I used an aluminum pan with some ice instead.
First, pat your salmon completely dry. Then mix ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup kosher salt — and it must be kosher salt. Coat the bottom of a pan with the mixture, lay the salmon on top, and fully coat the salmon on all sides. Refrigerate it for 24 hours. This step pulls moisture out of the fish.
After 24 hours, remove the salmon from the fridge, rinse off the cure with cold water, and pat it dry. Place the salmon on a rack in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 hours. Once that’s done, slice the salmon diagonally to create those diamond cuts.
Next, add ice to the bottom of a pan and place a rack above the ice. The salmon should sit on the rack and must not touch the ice. Cover everything tightly with foil, insert the smoke tube into the foil, and poke holes on the opposite side so the smoke can flow through properly.
Cold smoke the salmon in cycles: smoke for 45 minutes, then let it rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle up to four times, depending on how smoky you want it. The more cycles you do, the stronger the smoke flavor will be. Personally, I’m not a big fan of heavy smoke flavor, so if it wasn’t for this video, I probably would’ve stopped at one or two cycles.
Once smoking is complete, wrap the salmon in foil and refrigerate it for another 12 hours. After that, lightly brush it with maple syrup or honey and refrigerate it again for about 15–20 minutes. Then do your thing — eat it. And yes, it is raw. It’s definitely raw, in case y’all didn’t know.
Now, the truth about my salmon: I did not follow the traditional salt-to-sugar ratio. When I tried the company’s version, the flavor was a bit overpowering. When I made mine before and baked it, it tasted really good but was almost too salty. This time, I leaned more toward sweetness and less salt, and I feel like it ended up slightly under-seasoned. That’s really the only critique I have.
As for the wood pellets, I used cherry wood, and honestly, it just wasn’t giving what I wanted.
If you’re making salmon, the best wood pellets to use are:
• Alder (the classic and best overall choice for salmon)
• Applewood (light, sweet, and clean)
• Maple (mild with a subtle sweetness)
• Beechwood (very traditional for cold-smoked fish)
Those woods complement salmon witho👍Pros :
From my personal experience trying to replicate smoked candied salmon, patience really is key. The waiting times between curing, drying, and smoking are what help develop the complex flavors and texture that make this dish stand out. Using kosher salt is crucial, as it has a cleaner taste and helps draw out moisture more effectively during the cure. When cold smoking, I found that using alder wood pellets gave a nice, classic smoky flavor that's not overpowering, unlike the cherry wood which can sometimes impart a harsher taste. The cycle method of smoking — 45 minutes smoke then 30 minutes rest — really allowed the salmon to absorb the smoke gradually without overheating or cooking it, which is essential since the salmon remains raw. I also experimented with the sugar-to-salt ratio in the rub. Leaning toward more sugar and less salt results in a sweeter profile, but be cautious of under-seasoning. Brushing the salmon with a touch of maple syrup after smoking adds a subtle glaze that balances the smokiness perfectly. One tip: always use a rack above ice when cold smoking to prevent the fish from becoming wet, which can ruin texture. Covering the setup tightly with foil to trap smoke improves the intensity without constant monitoring. If you’re considering buying a smoke machine, I recommend checking out Amazon for affordable options specifically designed for cold smoking. They don't always need to be used with a grill if you can improvise a pan with ice underneath, as I did. Overall, making smoked candied salmon at home is rewarding once you get the balance of cure, smoke, and sweetness right. It’s a great culinary project that impresses friends and family with minimal hands-on time but lots of flavors.
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